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Anyone else noticing a drastic increase in their food shop costs already this year?

279 replies

user11290 · 15/01/2025 13:04

Hi,

Has anyone else noticed a drastic difference in the cost of their food shop already this year?

I certainly have noticed a difference.

OP posts:
Costcolover · 16/01/2025 18:15

Yerbumsaplum · 15/01/2025 13:45

Due to certain issues, my youngest son eats exactly the same things every day. A couple of the items, Tesco's own brand, have gone up significantly since New Year. I can't even shop around because he won't eat anything else and there are some battles I have to concede unfortunately.

Exactly the same here. DD has ASD & ARFID and has the same breakfast every day, same lunches and then the same for dinner, every single day. Naturally there's some things that can only be got from one place and some things from others. Nightmare! Price wise though it's going up every single week

VK456 · 16/01/2025 19:15

I’ve noticed a big difference. Shrinkflation is stealthily increasing, too. I’m sure that there used to be 5 bars some boxes of bars I buy. Now there are 4.

HauntedPencil · 16/01/2025 19:25

Definitely noticed a big jump in a couple of things I buy regularly - like juice

Madsciencecovid2020 · 16/01/2025 19:42

My food bill has gone down by using my food cupboard supplies and also always cooking from scratch.
Mince can be stretched by adding red split lentils. They add nutrition but make the meal more filling. 450g mince with lentils and turned in a bolognaise source I can easily make it do 3 meals for 4 people each time. If you are savvy with your ingredients you can make them go much further.
Yoghurt is easy to make at home and cheap. I can but a litre bottle of whole milk and add some whole milk powder and live yoghurt to it and can make a lovely natural Greek style yoghurt.
Also making things from scratch doesn't need to take hourse. Batch cook some basic ingredients for quick easy starter prep for an alternative meal.

Parrish · 16/01/2025 19:44

Tesco’s prices definitely gone up since the year started. 24 Tesco meatballs were £4.60 now £5! Tesco Butter is up 20p..

MadCattery · 16/01/2025 20:03

American here. Prices escalating here, too. And I am so angry about our toilet paper, which I think you call toilet roll? I opened a new package of a brand I’ve used for years, same price, and noticed that the inner cardboard tube has a bigger diameter now, so they can sell less paper! A lot of packages are getting smaller while prices are the same.

QuimCarrey · 16/01/2025 20:25

I heard it's been bad in the US.

Lavenderblue11 · 16/01/2025 21:02

Hollowvoice · 15/01/2025 13:19

Noticed this week something I regularly buy at £2.49 now costs £3 (exactly the same product/weight etc)

Yes, I've noticed stuff leaping up in price as well. At one time, things went up by the odd 5p here and there. Now they bang 75p on a single item without a second thought. This has happened to biscuits, they've nearly doubled in price.

Branster · 16/01/2025 21:10

MadCattery · 16/01/2025 20:03

American here. Prices escalating here, too. And I am so angry about our toilet paper, which I think you call toilet roll? I opened a new package of a brand I’ve used for years, same price, and noticed that the inner cardboard tube has a bigger diameter now, so they can sell less paper! A lot of packages are getting smaller while prices are the same.

This has been annoying me since the pandemic.
Interesting to see there is a similar trend in the US.
During the, supposedly, toilet paper shortage which actually never happened, the brand Andrex (only one we ever used in our home) first started making the toilet rolls ever so slightly shorter in width.
After a while, they became thinner because the length of paper on the roll got shorter. Then the inner tube got wider. The price, also, gradually increased.
I really disliked their dishonesty.
I haven't bought a single Andrex toilet paper pack for years now and switched to a different brand.

Pessismistic · 16/01/2025 21:37

In boots today L’Oréal shampoo I used to pay 2.00 then 4 for is now 8 each I know boots can be expensive but u can buy Persil liquid for less. Absolutely disgusting prices.

Bobcat246 · 16/01/2025 21:41

Last time a went round Sainsbury's most of the things I buy, with a few exceptions, were the same price or more as M&S so now I get everything bar cleaning products in M&S. Same price but much better quality and keeps longer.

ehb102 · 16/01/2025 21:41

I do something I jokingly call "The PTA price index". I keep a note of prices of a few things like the Terry's chocolate orange. Three years ago they were reliable on sale for £1. Now they are £2 without any special offer. Bags of chocolates jumped from £1.25 in June 2023 to £1.50 in June 2024 and £1.75 in January 2025. Bags of sherbert lemons were 75p four years ago and are £1.35 now.

@Meadowfinch I didn't know about the tomato puree import issue but Tesco have stopped selling cheap tomato puree and replaced it with tomato paste. Not sure on the equivalency. Thank you for the tip.

Meandthecats · 16/01/2025 21:42

I've noticed a big jump in prices since New Year. I guess the supermarkets have got to make up for all the pre Christmas discounting.

Pessismistic · 16/01/2025 21:46

Lurpak 8.75 in Tesco own type just over 2.00 how is this right someone is taking the piss and advantage of us in the horrible situation. Same ingredients.

Pebbles16 · 16/01/2025 21:48

It's winter and unless you eat very seasonal food then it's a price hike. TBH even if you eat seasonally, it's all going up

Mozzarellaballs · 16/01/2025 21:49

Went shopping at Aldi the other day and half the prices have gone up AGAIN. It's no longer a cheap shop especially as I can remember the old prices so it really pains me to pay more for the same thing. Greedy buggers.

Mozzarellaballs · 16/01/2025 21:51

ehb102 · 16/01/2025 21:41

I do something I jokingly call "The PTA price index". I keep a note of prices of a few things like the Terry's chocolate orange. Three years ago they were reliable on sale for £1. Now they are £2 without any special offer. Bags of chocolates jumped from £1.25 in June 2023 to £1.50 in June 2024 and £1.75 in January 2025. Bags of sherbert lemons were 75p four years ago and are £1.35 now.

@Meadowfinch I didn't know about the tomato puree import issue but Tesco have stopped selling cheap tomato puree and replaced it with tomato paste. Not sure on the equivalency. Thank you for the tip.

Still annoys me that Pringles used to be a pound and bachelors supernoodles were once 45p or 3 for a £1, now they are over 85p each

Hopper123 · 16/01/2025 21:54

Itiswhatitis80 · 15/01/2025 13:06

22/23 our food shop was £140 a week,2 adults 2 dc,last week it came too £234!.that’s at aldi aswell.

Snap we are 2 adults 3 dcs 2 years ago weekly shop was about 160 now we're lucky if its below 250 and that's not buying loads of luxury items that's bog standard stuff for meals and a few snacks items for the weekend for movie night. And that's also with club card discount plus extra 10% with premium club card off today I went to top up at Tesco after doing a proper shop at aldi for a change. The top ups of stuff we can't get at aldi was 114 quid!!!! Aldi shop was 116 so still 230 plus the extra petrol might as well just shop at Tesco and get everything there in kne place.

PiggyPigalle · 16/01/2025 21:59

The price of courgettes is extortionate, considering they grow like weeds.
£2 for 2. and £2.50 for 2 organic.

AllTheChaos · 16/01/2025 22:07

I have noticed price rises on a lot of things I buy regularly, a steady increase since Covid. I’m now on a fixed income and it really worries me that the money is going to have to stretch further and further. I adore my pets, but when they die I won’t be able to have more as the food is getting unaffordable, never mind vets bills etc. we have fewer and fewer treats now, branded items are going, and we already have most things from scratch. Food and contact allergies mean we are somewhat limited in some of the choices we have, too.

Longsight2019 · 16/01/2025 22:17

For our family of five (kids 11, 8, 6) we spend around £125/week in Aldi, and then another £25 top up usually. This is fresh produce rather than convenience, with the odd frozen Kiev thrown in the basket because they enjoy them
occasionally. If I buy alcohol then I pay separately for that.

It is creeping up though. Around 18 months ago the same basket would’ve been around £100.

We are being totally ripped off in the UK and something has to change.

boys3 · 16/01/2025 22:19

https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/consumerpriceinflation/december2024

2% annual overall food inflation reported by the ONS today.

This month’s figure will be interesting when it’s published next month. I’ve certainly seen a few price jumps since the start of the year.

Consumer price inflation, UK - Office for National Statistics

Price indices, percentage changes, and weights for the different measures of consumer price inflation.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/consumerpriceinflation/december2024

Washingupdone · 16/01/2025 22:21

Yes, but I live in Europe, it’s mondial caused by global warming and shortages, not only in the UK.
Wait for Easter and the price of chocolate, there is a huge shortage of cocoa.

DalzielOrNoDalzielAndDontPascoe · 16/01/2025 23:05

Wexone · 15/01/2025 15:41

regarding price of olive oil the past year or 2 have been very bad harvest due to bad weather etc. we will have to get used to these things affecting pricing
to me it's the price of dog food and cat food it's gone up something shocking
though I still wouldn't be without them

The problem is that the prices very rarely come down when the harvests/other circumstances are very good.

It does seem a bit like heads we win, tails you lose.

DalzielOrNoDalzielAndDontPascoe · 16/01/2025 23:09

MadCattery · 16/01/2025 20:03

American here. Prices escalating here, too. And I am so angry about our toilet paper, which I think you call toilet roll? I opened a new package of a brand I’ve used for years, same price, and noticed that the inner cardboard tube has a bigger diameter now, so they can sell less paper! A lot of packages are getting smaller while prices are the same.

Do you have Aldi and Lidl over there?

We used to buy Lidl cheap own-brand double thickness toilet rolls - decent quality and lasted ages. They changed very recently to much shorter rolls and much less soft paper. No announcement or price reduction to be seen.